


A Painful Kiss

by Arieadil



Series: Kisses and Near Misses [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Enderal (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-22
Updated: 2017-06-22
Packaged: 2018-11-17 10:00:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11273187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arieadil/pseuds/Arieadil
Summary: Exploring the relationship of the mercenary Jespar Dal'Varek and Prophetess Thera Shorvold throughout their journey in Enderal (and beyond?).Short one-shots; some canon, some slight AU. From a kiss prompt meme on Tumblr (link in chapter notes).





	A Painful Kiss

Everything hurt. Her head was throbbing from the Echo and it's sudden strength, her nose a veritable torrent of blood from the combination of the strain and fatigue. The violent use of entropy magic, unfamiliar to her until the panic of finding her quiver empty just as a horde of controlled Lost Ones swarmed them, sapped what reserves of energy she had left. The fatigue weighed heavily on her limbs as she stumbled forward through the now deserted tunnel. A loose stone caught the toe of her boot and sent her careening forward just as another Echo, growing ever powerful as they neared their destination, wracked through her body and mind. When the fog of her thoughts cleared, she found herself on the floor, rocks digging into her knees and palms scraped and bloodied from the rough, gravel-strewn surface. 

A half-choked sob tore through her throat before she felt warm hands wrap around her upper arms. They gently steered her into a seated position on the floor. Jespar, crouching in front of her, leveled his gaze with hers before taking her face in his palms. The edges of his form shimmered slightly in her vision, eyes refusing to completely focus. The worry showed clearly in his expression, brows furrowed in concern, silver hair mussed and eyes fierce face streaked with soot.

"Thera, by the wise hermit--" a shifting, scuttling sound from behind him. Their companions weren't interested in pausing for them, "Wait! She just needs a moment, for Creator's sake..." Tearing his gaze from hers he leveled it at the Grandmaster, the warmth fleeing as the look settled into an icy glare.

"We're wasting precious time!" Tealor nearly growled, teeth grit and jaw clenched, clearly on edge in their surroundings and the desire to press on. Sha'rim appeared wholly uninterested. Clearly lost in thought. His attention a fixed stare caught on something further down the tunnel.

Jespar shook his head, the razor-edged chill leaving his face as he caught the Prophetess' gaze once more, leaning forward, he stroked his palms over her, one hand gripping her head, the other resting on her cheek. "Thera, we've gotta keep moving, you'll be okay?" His thumb traced over her cheekbone, catching tears she hadn't realized had escaped. Thera's hands, shaking, found his waist, limply gripping him by his sides. She nodded a silent acquiescence. Jespar lifted her blood-spattered scarf's edge and used it to dab at the bloodied mess that was her lower face with modest improvement.

His brow furrowed in concern, "You'll let me know? If anything changes," he encouraged.

"Yes." she replied, nodding, her voice a weak sounding whisper. 

He traced her lips with his thumb, a sad smile on his own. Jespar leaned forward, closing the last of the distance to press a kiss on her forehead. As he pulled away she caught him in an intense stare, and with a surprising strength tugged him back towards her by his chest-piece and firmly kissed him once more. The heat between them as strong as the cleansing fire. Thera gripped him as tightly as she could, Jespar's fingers finding themselves tangled into her hair, falling loose from it's ties. When he pulled away he let out a pained sigh of his own and helped her rise to her feet. He retrieved her bow which had clattered to the ground when she stumbled and handed it to her, the task made more difficult as both he and Thera refused to let go of the other's hand. 

"Stay close," she whispered, eyes flashing with a fierceness that stood contradictory to the weariness in her body. She squeezed his hand once before releasing him and continuing down the dimly lit corridor, the free hand now lightly tracing the wall as she walked in order to steady herself. Her partner followed close behind. His gut supplied him with a response that almost surprised in it's unflinching rapidity of entering his mind:

 _Always._

And he found that didn't have it in him to disagree.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I'll try to update as frequently as I'm able. Currently unbeta-d, so bear with me. 
> 
> Prompts may come out of order from the original Tumblr post (find it here: deepdarkwaters.tumblr.com/post/150702058341/another-kiss-meme ) but I hope to eventually work through all 20 (time will tell whether or not those prompt kisses actually wind up connecting...) and then maybe more if I wind up being inspired along the way. :)
> 
> Thanks again!


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